1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a running vehicle, and more particularly to a running vehicle having an obstacle sensor of the non-contact type at a front portion of its body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional running vehicles of this type, for example, automatic mowers and like automatic running vehicles, require means for stopping the vehicle during running upon detecting an obstacle in front of the vehicle to avoid danger or collision. Such means consists essentially of a sensor for detecting obstacles reliably free of errors. Photosensors, ultrasonic sensors and like sensors of the non-contact type are used as such sensors.
The vehicle is so controlled that when the sensor detects an obstacle within its sensing area, the vehicle is immediately stopped unconditionally or caused to detour the obstacle in a pattern preset according to the position of obstacles.
However, the conventional control means has the following drawbacks.
The vehicle which is adapted to stop unconditionally upon the sensor detecting an obstacle has the drawback of being very low in work efficiency although danger is avoidable reliably.
On the other hand, the vehicle achieves a fairly high work efficiency when adapted for control to detour the obstacle detected, but if controlled to detour an obstacle in motion, the vehicle is likely to be subjected to unending detouring control depending on the direction of motion of the obstacle, with the resulting drawback that the vehicle will be deviated from the running course or strike against other bodies.